Agenda item

Report of the Young Mayor

To receive a verbal report on the latest activities of the Young Mayor and Young Cabinet.

Minutes:

The Young Mayor reported on the following activities in which he and Young Cabinet Members and/or Youth Councilors had been involved:

 

·       Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) Hannah Clarke-McKeran had delivered a powerful speech in the House of Commons on the 4 November on support for young people’s mental health and was working with the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Committee and the Ready for Life Committee looking at the resources available to support young people in the borough. She had also met with the Authority’s Director for Public Health and her team to learn about what was already being provided in North Tyneside.

·       The Young Mayor had visited Hadrian Park Primary school to help with planting trees, the school was registered with the Eco School Award and this activity would score them points in achieving the award and ultimately their Green Flag status.

·       The Young Mayor continued to attend the Carbon Net Zero Board meetings covering the many things that had been put into place by the Authority and the ongoing campaign to persuade people to change their behaviour. 

·       Youth Councillors had taken part in a litter pick at the Rising Sun Country Park which they found to be very clean with not a lot of litter to collect and were very encouraged to know that people were taking social responsibility for their spaces.

·       A Swap Shop in North Shields Library on the 10 December between 11am and 2pm was planned to coincide with Northumberland Square Christmas Fayre, anything left over after the swap had finished would be taken to the local charity shops.

·       The Children in Care Council hosted their first annual awards celebration night on the 29 October dedicated to children and young people who were in care and to recognise the amazing things they had achieved throughout the past year, from hard work ethic and career development to sporting triumphs. Three of the awards that were presented were in memory of foster carers who had lost their lives during the pandemic, and individual awards which were presented by the Authority’s Director of Children’s Services to the winning young people.

·       The Young Mayor had joined young people from North Tyneside’s Children’s Council, Youth Council, SEND Youth Forum and Children in Care Council to take part in a consultation session facilitated by the Authority’s Participation Team, and an independent Children’s scrutineer, when views were shared on what safeguarding meant to them, along with their understanding of North Tyneside Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and their priorities for the year ahead, including how effectively safeguarding arrangements were working for children, families and practitioners.  

·       Alexander Kinney had been presented with the Young Mayor’s Award as part of the Spirit of North Tyneside Awards for the environment volunteering work at his school.

·       Youth Councillors had laid wreaths at 5 of the memorials and cenotaphs around the borough on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

·       Youth Councillors had attended the State of the Area Event focusing on the rising cost of living and the opportunity to have their say in the workshops.

·       Youth Councillors had collected food donations from shoppers in Morrisons in Whitley Bay for the charity Walking With.  37 large bags of groceries were donated this time which would be gratefully received by those in need, and a further collection in Morrisons was planned on Sunday 11 December 2022. 

 

The Elected Mayor thanked the Young Mayor for the update and the Young People for their work.

 

The Elected Mayor also referred to MYP Hannah Clarke-McKeran’s excellent speech in the House of Commons on young people’s mental health and in recognition requested that the YouTube (video) recording of Hannah’s speech be presented at the meeting.